Boulder Beer Killer Penguin Barleywine

Brewed by Boulder Beer Company
Style: Barley Wine
Boulder, Colorado USA

on tap at the Brewkettle (cleveland) - Pours a clear light copper color with small light tan head. Aroma has loads of caramel, flowery hops, vanilla, touch of chocolate, lemon. Flavor is chewy, malty, bit soapy, touch of lemon zest and apricot. Palate is a bit thin for the style. Finish is mildly sweet.

07Killer Penguin BW-22oz bottle-pours a foamy to rocky tan head that laces and copper/ruby red color. Aroma is nicely balanced medium malt-caramel, pine hops and dark fruit. Taste is nicely balanced sweet medium malt-caramel/roasty, pine/citrus-orange hops and dark fruit, some alcohol. Taste not quite up to aroma.

I saw this one and kind of ignored it because of the retired killer penguin ale. Pour is a clean glassy amber color with almost no head. Aroma is a sugary malt scent. Lots of roasted caramel and some medium grassyness. The flavor is pretty good, lots of malt chewy sweetness, but there is a little too much sugary syrupy flavor to it. There is a nice ending bite to it that compliments it pretty well. Overall a pretty good barley wine, but nothing too remarkable.

2008 vintage: Pours clear amber with virtually no head. Aroma is weak for a BW. I was really wanting something more in the nose than some faint sweetness. Palate is watery with non-existant carbonation. Flavor is malty sweet with some earthy tones and fruits. The flavor saves this BW from a horrible review. I wish there was a little more depth in the flavor profile but it is still fairly drinkable. Hard to believe this is packing 10% abv ... hardly noticable. Overall a descent brew at 6 bucks not bad for a big beer. Not a waste of money but not the best out there.

22 oz wax sealed bottle, 2008 vintage Pours a dark tawny amber color, with a medium tan head. Aroma strongly favors citrusy hops like Cascade or Perle, with some brown sugar and maltiness as well. After an initial hop bite, the palate changes to a rich brown sugar and malty taste, that is just a bit on the sweet side. The mouthfeel is excellent. Its thick and robust, without being overwhelmingly solid. Overall, a very enjoyable beer.

Draft at Gingerman. Flavor is orange and caramel, medium bodied, not too sweet and doesn’t taste like a barleywine. Decent stuff but nothing too special.

the thinnest mouthfeel for a barley wine ive ever experienced. malt comes across strong but fades quick, lacking malt removes all chance of any kind of syrupy-ness. decent aromas contain some spice and color is wonderful but this is just about too easy going for the style.

Tap at Ginger Man. Deep amber beer. Thin head. Aroma is lightly malty. Soft fruit with cherries and berries over a soft sweet maltiness. Not overly complex and the hoppiness is quite subdued. It’s a bit plasticy as well and after awhile it begins to come across as fairly bland. Pretty uninteresting.